One dead, two missing due to floods in central Italy

One dead, two missing due to floods in central Italy

2011-03-02 23:30:34 GMT+7 (ICT)

ROME, ITALY (BNO NEWS) -- One person on Tuesday night was killed and two mere went missing due to the severe flooding that affected central Italy, ANSA news agency reported on Wednesday.

The central Adriatic Marche region was affected by flooding which prompted the regional government to request a state-of-emergency declaration in order to obtain special assistance in dealing with the emergency.

An 85-year-old woman died due to drowning after falling into a river at Venarotta near Ascoli Piceno. The region was struck by strong winds and the most intense rainfall in the last 40 years.

Her body was found by firefighters after her daughter alerted authorities when the woman failed to return from mass during the evening. In addition, two individuals went missing at the small town of Casette D'Ete.

A 50-year-old man and 20-year-old woman were in a car which as swept away by waters from the Ete Morto river. A woman who was the man's girlfriend and the mother of the teen managed to escape from the vehicle.

Dozens of people have been rescued from flooded homes in many communities including Fermo, Cassette d'Ete, and Porto Saint Elpidio. Hundreds of people lost their belongings due to the flooding as well.

The number of people evacuated from their homes is expected to be in the hundreds by the end of Wednesday. The extreme weather has caused blackouts and the Ancona airport was closed. The strong winds have also caused the disruption of rail roads in the region.

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